Lectures on Animals

The signs of decimation and devastation are all around us. Species are becoming extinct at alarming rates. The oceans’ acidity levels are rising and now threaten the great coral reefs and many aquatic species. Tuna fish will not be around in 25 years because of overfishing. Meanwhile, jellyfish are dominating the oceans, which marine biologists warn is an ominous harbinger. Some scientists believe we as a species may not survive this century. Such prognostications echo what some Islamic scholars, including Imam al-Suyuti and Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, argued: the 15th century would be Islam’s last. We know from our Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) that he came to usher in the last days and to remind people of the imminent end. What are its signs? How do we make sense of the apocalyptic news we see daily, and what do we do about it? How do we protect our children from the depression and despair so common to the hearts and minds of too many of today’s youth? This talk will address these and other questions.